Service light for dining tables

ABSTRACT

A light for attracting the attention of a waiter in a dining room is composed of a transparent globe containing a light switch and bulb within the globe, and an electric battery held in a frame hung from said light switch.

111 3,714,410 14 1 Jan. 30, 1973 United States Patent 11 1 Olsen 964 Cheung.......;....................r

[54] SERVICE LIGHT FOR DINING TABLES 95l Russell...........

Trott....'.......... ....240/6.4 R Moore ...................r.......240/6.4 R X 956 Sansons............................

[76] Inventor: Leslie E. Olsen, 1894 Locust Street, Reno, Nev. 89502 March 14, 1972 Appl. No.: 234,575

1221 Filed:

Primary Examiner-Joseph F. Peters, Jr. Att0rney-Francis D. Stephens et al.

7 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 11/1965 3.211153 Ryan........................... ......240/6.4 R

PATENTED JAN 3 0 I975 SHEET 2 OF 2 Fig 7 SERVICE LIGHT FOR DINING TABLES This invention relates to a light for signaling or attracting the attention of a waiter in a dining room. More particularly, this invention is directed to a light which can be placed on a table or-secured to the wall adjacent the table, and which can be turned on whenever service is desired.

Service lights for summoning service in a dining room have been made as shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,563,693, 2,565,980, 3,316,396 and 3,368,069. However, these lights are relatively expensive to make even though their structures seem simple, and are awkward to handle.

The object of this invention is to produce a signal light which is composed of inexpensive parts, is of simple easily assembled structure and which can be easily maintained.

In general, these objects are obtained by constructing the light of a globe in which there is mounted a light switch and from said switch a frame is hung. Electric terminals at the bottom'portion of the clip are provided between which an electric battery is inserted and electrically connected to the light switch. The frame can be transparent or of the same color as the globe so that the frame does not show through the globe. This enables a substantially uniform flow of light through the wall of the globe. The globe is made of a slightly flexible material so that when the battery is inserted in the frame the frame presses against the globe and deforms it from a circular shape to a slightly eliptical or oval shape. The base is provided with a channel shaped clip which is inserted in the open bottom of the globe parallel to the electric battery. Thus, the clip and battery lie on the major axis of the elipse. The base is then turned approximately 45 with respect to the base and toward the minor axis of the elipse. The clip then jams tightly against the wall of the globe and holds the globe from being easily removed from the base. When service is desired by a person at the table, the light bulb switch is actuated to turn on the light.

The means by which the objects of this invention are obtained are described more fully with respect to the accompanying drawings in which,

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of the light partially shown in section,

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 2 2 of FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 3 3 of FIG. 1,

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken as shown in FIG. 2, but showing the globe turned about 45 with respect to the base,

FIG. 5 is avertical cross-sectional view through the globe,

FIG. 6 is a bottom plane view of FIG. 5,

FIG.'7 is a view similar to FIG. 5 but showing the battery inserted, and

FIG. 8 is a bottom view of FIG. 7.

The signal light is composed of a globe 10 which is either transparent or translucent. Preferably, the globe is actually a drinking cup composed of a synthetic plastic such as cellulose acetate butyrate or polycarbonate. While stiff, these materials are very slightly elastic so that the globe, which has a circular open end forming the bottom of the globe, can be deformed from a circular to a slightly eliptical shape. A hole drilled in the middle of the closed upper end 11 contains an electrical light switch 12. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 7, this is a conventional light switch which has its post end held by a nut 14 screwed on the post end bearing on the upper surface of the globe. The switch is illustrated as being a push button 16. A light bulb 17 is screwed into the light switch. A U-shaped frame is hung from the switch by having its bight 20 mounted between the switch box 22 and the under surface of the top of the globe. The frame has a pair of initially straight legs 24 diverging downwardly. The lower ends of the legs have tabs 26 projecting outwardly toward the inner wall of the globe 10. The frame 18 is composed of a narrow strip of transparent plexiglass or a likematerial which can be bent. On the lower portion of legs 24 are fastened metal electrical terminals 30, which are strips of metal approximately as wide as the width of a flash light battery. Wires 32 connect these terminals to the light switch and are wrapped around the ends of the legs as shown.

As shown in FIG. 5, the legs 24 are normally straight. When a battery 36, FIG. 7, is inserted through the open bottom of the globe into the clip 30, the pressure on the battery causes the legs 24 to bow and bring the lower portion 25 of the legs into substantially parallelism. For this reason, top pole 38 and the base pole 40 bear against the clips 30, which means that the clips 30 will not be slanted to bear against both a pole and the battery casing to thus short circuit the battery.

When the battery is inserted in the frame, this forces the tabs 26 against the inner wall of the globe and thus deforms the globe to a slightly eliptical form, that is, from the circular form of FIG. 6 to the exaggerated eliptical form shown in FIG. 8. The battery is held in place by the frictional pressure alone, thus eliminating the need for any other holding means such as thread connection, springs and the like. The bight 20 of the frame is of less length than the diameter of the globe, thus providing space between the legs of the frame and the globe so as to give room for the frame to bend.

The globe can be mounted on a base 50 composed of a suitable material such as wood or a synthetic plastic. On the top of the base is mounted a channel shaped narrow strip like clip having its web 52 secured to the upper side of the base by bolts 54 and having upwardly extending flanges 56. When the globe, including the battery, is placed on the base, the flanges 56 engage the inner wall of the globe. In this position, the longitudinal axis of the web 52 is parallel to the central axis ,of the battery 36. As shown in FIG. 4, and because of the oval shape of the bottom of the globe, when the globe is turned about 45 on the base, as shown by the arrows, the flanges 56 are turned toward the minor axis of the elipse and become tightly engaged with the-inner wall of the globe so that the globe is firmly held on the base and not easily removable therefrom.

In operation the light can be set vertically on a table and if desired secured thereto. If desired, the base can be secured to a wall adjacent the table-to that the globe projects horimntally from the wall. In either position,

light is emitted all around the globe as well as from the closed end of the globe.

This invention has the advantages of employing only a few simple parts which can be easily assembled. When the light bulb is to be changed, it is only necessary to remove the battery to change the light bulb. if necessary, the light bulb can be reached by hand by unscrewing the nut 14 and allowing the switch 22 to drop until the light bulb is accessible. This can be done in a minute or so. The globe can be an inexpensive plastic drinking cup, while the frame can be an inexpensive strip of lucite or similar material which can be easily bent to shape. The tabs 26 can be either long or short, depending upon the slope of the wall of the globe so that the globe can be composed of any drinking cup available in the market. The frame insures that the battery can be held tightly byfriction alone in the frame without short circuting the battery. The parts used are such that no expensive tooling up is necessary to fabricate the parts and then to assemble them into the completed light.

Having now described the means by which the objects of this invention are obtained,

I claim:

1. A service light for attracting the attention of a waiter in a dining room comprising a translucent globe having an open bottom and a closed top, an electric light switch including a light bulb mounted on the underside of said bottom and extending upwardly through said top, a U-shaped frame having its bight hung from said switch and its legs extending downwardly adjacent the wall of said globe, an electric battery held between the lower end portions of said legs. and electrical connecting means between said battery and said switch.

2. A light as in claim 1, in which said frame is flexible and transparent, and said battery presses the lower ends of said frame against said globe.

3. A light as in claim 2, further comprising a tab on the lower end of each frame leg and between the leg and the wall of said globe.

4. A light as in claim 3, in which said globe has an initially circular bottom which is deformed by the pressure of said battery into a slightly elliptical shape.

5. A light as in claim 4, in which the legs of said frame are initially straight and diverge downwardly and are bowed by the pressure of said battery so that the lower end portions of said legs are substantially parallel.

6. A light as in claim 5, further comprising a base for said globe, and clip means on said base for attaching said base to said globe.

7. A light as in claim 6, said clip means comprising a channel shaped clip having the web of the clip secured to said base and the flanges of the clip engaging said globe. 

1. A service light for attracting the attention of a waiter in a dining room comprising a translucent globe having an open bottom and a closed top, an electric light switch including a light bulb mounted on the underside of said bottom and extending upwardly through said top, a U-shaped frame having its bight hung from said switch and its legs extending downwardly adjacent the wall of said globe, an electric battery held between the lower end portions of said legs, and electrical connecting means between said battery and said switch.
 1. A service light for attracting the attention of a waiter in a dining room comprising a translucent globe having an open bottom and a closed top, an electric light switch including a light bulb mounted on the underside of said bottom and extending upwardly through said top, a U-shaped frame having its bight hung from said switch and its legs extending downwardly adjacent the wall of said globe, an electric battery held between the lower end portions of said legs, and electrical connecting means between said battery and said switch.
 2. A light as in claim 1, in which said frame is flexible and transparent, and said battery presses the lower ends of said frame against said globe.
 3. A light as in claim 2, further comprising a tab on the lower end of each frame leg and between the leg and the wall of said globe.
 4. A light as in claim 3, in which said globe has an initially circular bottom which is deformed by the pressure of said battery into a slightly elliptical shape.
 5. A light as in claim 4, in which the legs of said frame are initially straight and diverge downwardly and are bowed by the pressure of said battery so that the lower end portions of said legs are substantially parallel.
 6. A light as in claim 5, further comprising a base for said globe, and clip means on said base for attaching said base to said globe. 